[2017 RBS Six Nations] Round 2: Italy vs. Ireland (11/02/2017)

[Brabander]

Stander for fly-half!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

3 tries, an assist, motm... You'd want CJ in your fantasy side!!

 

[TheSaffycen]

Stander for lions #10

 

[munstermuffin]

Gilroy putting a serious case in toofor spot in the 23

 

[Superalexmarket]

How much time will be Italy in the 6N? It's just for the money? Georgia should have a chance.

 

[big ginger 8]

Believe I said that Gilroy would make an impact.

 

[argie]

63-10.....
What else?.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Gilroy should come in for Zeebs/Kearney, need an out and out wing.

 

[big ginger 8]

Wonder did Heaslip win a bet by throwing in 'trust the process'.

 

[Groundhog]

Wonder did Heaslip win a bet by throwing in 'trust the process'.

Also 'we got some lucky bounces' and 'the final score put a nice shine on it'. Gone are the days of "knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it into a fruit salad"

 

[munstermuffin]

Well serious questions in good way now.
Scannell made huge impact,
Healy was superb.
Our 2nd row was brilliant even Dillane is like a stallion galloping when on.
I thought Seanie was quietish in backrow but they all played well.
At 10 do you put Sexton straight back in or stick by PJ.
Do you drop Kearney or Zebo. Does Trimble be considered.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

That's the first time I've watched another rugby match while Italy are on the telly. Random thoughts:

- Favarro gets a big pass mark and may be our best player by far.
- Canna is at risk of regressing.
- there were two five minutes spells of decent play. But the first was against 14 men and the second was when Ireland had their foot off the gas as they had the BP. There should be no hiding behind those decent 5 min spells.
- a deserved yellow card in the first 15mins would have seen Italy defeated more heavily.
- Luke Mclean has never been, and will not be, a 12. He single handedly killed the two best Italian moves.
- whilst O'Shea should probably not be completely judged until the end of the next 6N, it's reasonable to say that there are worrying signs his coaching team are simply not up to snuff offensively.
- the entertainment value at Twickenham next week will be nil. Unless you like seeing Romans thrown to the Lions

 

[corny]

Better performance. Heads were screwed on from the off. Few thoughts.

-Defence is still not convincing. Charging up hard in desperation because we've numbered up incorrectly is not good defending. Good teams will take a step backwards and work it outside you.
-Heaslip gets no love from 3 provinces in Ireland and the lads across the water have their minds made up Faletau and Vunipola are better but he's worth another nomination for world player of the year given his form this season. Does everything to a ridiculously high standard.
-O'Brien was reminded of his job i think. He followed the ball instead of looking for it the whole game. Lets face with Stander bowling over Italians like skittles another carrier wasn't needed.
-Ryan is a second row, Henderson isn't.
-I'm right... Cian Healy will eventually be brilliant again.
-I hate Glen Jackson.

-Oh and Bealham>Ryan and Scannell>>>>>>>Tracy.

 

[Maverick1987]

Man this game has done nothing to quell the idea that Italy aren't improving .... simply awful after 50 minutes and not a great deal better before 50 ....

Ireland did exactly what everyone should do against Italy . Get early points on the board and wait for the heads to drop ..

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Better performance. Heads were screwed on from the off. Few thoughts.

-Defence is still not convincing. Charging up hard in desperation because we've numbered up incorrectly is not good defending. Good teams will take a step backwards and work it outside you.
-Heaslip gets no love from 3 provinces in Ireland and the lads across the water have their minds made up Faletau and Vunipola are better but he's worth another nomination for world player of the year given his form this season. Does everything to a ridiculously high standard.
-O'Brien was reminded of his job i think. He followed the ball instead of looking for it the whole game. Lets face with Stander bowling over Italians like skittles another carrier wasn't needed.
-Ryan is a second row, Henderson isn't.
-I'm right... Cian Healy will eventually be brilliant again.
-I hate Glen Jackson.

-Oh and Bealham>Ryan and Scannell>>>>>>>Tracy.

<3

 

[Mike Rolls]

Hopefully, the results from Saturday will see a hurried end to the silly idea of bonus points in the 6 Nations. One of the advantages claimed for it was that it would encourage more attacking, and therefore more entertaining, Rugby. Really? Ireland ran in 9 tries against the hapless Italians, England and Wales scored only three between them, but that was a far more entertaining and positively gripping match. The game in Rome was embarrassing to watch and a total mismatch, yet Ireland benefitted more from it in terms of Championship points than England – or had they won – Wales - receive. Madness. Apart from enjoying the massacre of Italy –if that is what one enjoys – there was no enjoyment and precious little entertainment to be had from the Rome match.
The idea of points differential is bad enough, but bonus points are a step too far, much too far. As it is, unless there is a Grand Slam, the ***le tends to get decided on who can put most points on the Italians. The imbalance created by having three home games one year, two the next, is bad enough. Of the 9 Grand Slams so far recorded since 5 became 6, only three – Wales in 2005, Ireland in 2009, and England in 2016, have gone to a team only playing 2 home games.
Make no mistake – playing at home is a big advantage. The figures tell it all, the win percentages being:-
England 86% Home 57% Away
France 74% Home 51% Away
Ireland 74% Home 55% Away
Scotland 36% Home 16% Away
Wales 61% Home 48% Away
Italy 23% home 5% Away

Mike

 

[munstermuffin]

Wonder who will be released back next week for gametime now. We will hopefully get few back for trip to Ospreys

 

[jacothelad]

Yeah people will point to Ryan being better in the lineout, and rightly so, but where Henderson completely fails for me is in his workrate. He just doesn't do hitting rucks with frequency and as such he really has no place starting in a Joe Schmidt (20+ phase the norm) team. Ryan and Toner will work like dogs ruck to ruck and thats what we need from the second rows. Leave the fancy to the shorter lads!

Elsewhere, no surprises. Stander, O'Brien, Heaslip are gonna start every game if fit. I imagine only O'Mahony has a shot at displacing them and even thats remote.

Apparently 50/30 mins, 30/50 mins for the looseheads was always the plan. Hope Healy does well. I think he's VERY slowly getting better with games. I haven't given up believing he can get back to the player he was.

Inaccurate supposition based of s.f.a. mostly.
Rucking stats v. Scotland.
Total
50 Devin Toner (17 first, 23 second, 9 third, 1 defensive)
41 Sean O'Brien (18 first, 6 second, 9 third, 1 fourth, 7 defensive)
34 Tadhg Furlong (12 first, 14 second, 5 third, 3 fourth)
34 Iain Henderson (13 first, 9 second, 11 third, 1 fourth)
33 Jack McGrath (6 first, 15 second, 5 third, 5 fourth, 2 defensive)
31 Jamie Heaslip (14 first, 7 second, 4 third, 1 fourth, 5 defensive)
30 CJ Stander (10 first, 9 second, 4 third, 2 fourth, 5 defensive)
30 Rory Best (13 first, 16 second, 1 third)
26 Garry Ringrose (15 first, 5 second, 5 third, 1 defensive)
18 Robbie Henshaw (3 first, 10 second, 1 third, 4 defensive)
13 Keith Earls (5 first, 1 second, 4 third, 3 defensive)
13 Rob Kearney (3 first, 4 second, 4 third, 1 fourth, 1 defensive)
13 Simon Zebo (9 first, 2 second, 1 third, 1 defensive)
12 Cian Healy (3 first, 2 second, 1 third, 4 fourth, 2 defensive)
12 Ultan Dillane (3 first, 4 second, 3 third, 2 defensive)
12 Paddy Jackson (5 first, 5 second, 1 third, 1 fourth)
6 Josh van der Flier (2 second, 2 third, 2 defensive)
5 John Ryan (2 first, 3 second)
4 Tommy Bowe (1 first, 2 second, 1 third)
4 Conor Murray (3 first, 1 second)

First arrival
18 Sean O'Brien (9 effective, 7 guard, 1 present, 1 ineffective)
17 Devin Toner (9 effective, 4 guard, 2 present, 2 ineffective)